“Fewer” and “less” both mean a smaller amount, but they are usually used with different kinds of nouns.
Basic rule
Use fewer with countable nouns—things you can count individually:
- fewer books
- fewer students
- fewer mistakes
- fewer cars
- fewer opportunities
Use less with uncountable nouns—things viewed as a quantity, mass, or general amount:
- less water
- less traffic
- less money
- less information
- less patience
A quick test is to ask whether the noun naturally takes a number. You can say “three books,” so use fewer books. You would not normally say “three traffics,” so use less traffic.
Sentence examples
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There are fewer people at the office today.
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She made fewer errors on the second test.
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We received fewer applications this year.
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Eating fewer snacks may reduce your daily calorie intake.
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The new process requires fewer steps.
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I have less time than I expected.
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This recipe uses less sugar.
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There was less noise after the doors closed.
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He has less experience in management.
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We need to produce less waste.
Side-by-side comparisons
- Fewer coins, but less money
- Fewer bottles, but less water
- Fewer assignments, but less homework
- Fewer vehicles, but less traffic
- Fewer facts, but less information
- Fewer hours, but less time
Important exceptions
Less is commonly used with measurements of time, money, distance, weight, and similar quantities, even when a number appears:
- The trip takes less than three hours.
- It costs less than twenty dollars.
- The station is less than five miles away.
- The package weighs less than ten kilograms.
Here, the phrase is treated as one total amount rather than as separate countable units.
“Less” is also standard with numbers in expressions such as:
- 10 items or less
- a score of six points or less
- children aged five or less
In very formal edited English, some writers may prefer “10 items or fewer,” but “10 items or less” is widespread and natural.
Common corrections
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Incorrect: There are less students in this class.
Correct: There are fewer students in this class. -
Incorrect: We need fewer equipment.
Correct: We need less equipment. -
Incorrect: She gave me fewer advice.
Correct: She gave me less advice. -
Incorrect: I have less emails to answer.
Correct: I have fewer emails to answer.
Remember: fewer individual things; less total amount.